Welcome to the first Weekly Fishing Report from Big Sky Anglers for 2018!

We had a great snow pack throughout Yellowstone Country this winter, and that means that in this first report we will be talking a lot about run off. It comes with the territory, and we’re used to dealing with high water around here. In fact, we hope for it every year. From rainbow trout and caddis flies to elk antlers and wild flowers, everything benefits from a good snow pack.

It might be a little touch and go for a few weeks, but with more fishable water in a 90 mile radius than arguably anywhere else in the planet, there is always some fun fishing to be had somewhere around Big Sky Anglers world headquarters in West Yellowstone, Montana. Between the Henry’s Fork and the local stillwaters, we always have GREAT options for fishing. Even in the highest water years.

Read on to see our take on this week’s fishing, and check out the links below to stay current on area forecasts and flows.

Stay tuned as we report each week on hatches, flows, weather, and more. For the most up to date info stop by the shop, give us a call, or drop us a line.

This weekend marks the beginning of another fishing season in Yellowstone National Park. While we have already been fishing for weeks outside the park, the YNP opener serves as the official start to the 2018 season, and it’s a weekend that we all look forward to.

The fishing season officially begins this Saturday, and there are some important new regulations in place for 2018. Most notably, all felt soled wading boots have been banned from park waters to limit the spread of aquatic invasive species. So, if you haven’t already, make sure you pick up a pair of rubber soled wading boots before you head into the park this Saturday. While you’re at it, be sure to have your new 2018 YNP fishing license and a copy of the fishing regulations too.

This year we’ll be dealing with high water, and run-off conditions for opening weekend. Each winter we keep our fingers crossed, and hope for a solid snow-pack, and a slow spring melt. Our fishing season,and the health of our fisheries depends on it. Fortunately, we got what we wished for this year, and that means we have to deal with less than ideal conditions for the first few weeks of the season.

The best bets for fishing on opening weekend in the park are traditionally the Firehole and Madison Rivers, and that remains the case on high water years too. The Firehole has been flowing right around 1,000 cfs all week, and the water is a tannic, tea-stained brown that is customary here. With rain this week, and warmer temps over the weekend, there’s a good chance flows will increase, and clarity will go from tea-stained to chocolate milk. If the clarity remains reasonable you can expect some fun fishing with streamers and soft-hackles, as well as the random (and we stress random) fish rising to PMD’s, Baetis, and Caddis. The Madison will have similar conditions and fishing opportunities as the Firehole. Stay tuned to these legendary fisheries for some great hatches and classic fishing in the weeks to come as water conditions improve. Give us a call here in the shop for up to the minute reports on water conditions and fishing reports for opening weekend

Henry’s Fork

The Henry’s Fork has fished well so far this season, and remains one of the best bets for reasonable water conditions and good fishing. With 70 miles of fishable water open right now, there are a variety of solid early-season fishing opportunities available.

The Box Canyon currently has some of the best conditions in the area with clear water, and flows between 750 and 800 cfs this week. We have enjoyed the low flows here while they try to save storage space lower in the system for runoff water coming from drainages with heavy snow pack in the Tetons. However, Island Park Reservoir has reached full capacity and flows will be raised to roughly match inflows (currently around 1200 cfs) by this weekend. With warmer weather predicted, look for the first signs of Salmonflies over Memorial Day weekend in the Box.

The Railroad Ranch is still closed and will be through June 15. Great water conditions this winter and spring have us feeling optimistic for fishing and hatches on the Ranch this year here. Overall fish populations will be down from the last 5 years, but this usually has the effect of making the big fish bigger. Fish are rising a bit from Wood Rd 16 downstream. We are not seeing huge numbers of trout up, but those desperate to fish to big picky ones can find decent game down there for a few hours each day. March browns and caddis are predominantly driving the dry fly bite here.

The Lower River has seen a lot of early-season action, and more than its fair share of attention lately. Salmon flies are active throughout the lower river system, and some good fish have been looking for them. The Falls River is running high but not too off color currently, but as both daytime high and evening low temps rise, this will get dirtier and dirtier affecting the river from Chester down.

Madison River

It’s full on run off season on the Madison right now, and with rain, and then warm temps forecasted that’s not going to change anytime soon. Flows have been on the rise this week with 1,500-2,000 cfs at Hebgen and 2,000-3,000 cfs at Kirby. A “Flushing Flow” is scheduled for sometime from the end of May to the beginning of June. That means flows will be raised to 3500 cfs at Kirby and kept there for a minimum of three days. Montana FWP has issued a press release with more info on the specifics. Click Here to read a blog post about FWP’s Press Release.

All of the usual suspects are adding mud to the Madison River. Cabin Cr., Beaver Cr., and the West Fork of the Madison are swollen and running brown. The Carrot Basin snotel site is still reading 60” of snow on the ground with more than 30” of snow water equivalent. That’s a whole lot of brown water yet to come down.

The good news is that with a great snow pack, a good flushing flow during run off, and a full season of cold water thanks to the decade-long repair on Hebgen Dam finally being completed, we’re looking forward to a great water year and some awesome fishing this summer on the Madison.

In the meantime, some productive fishing can be found with nymphs and streamers in the muddy water at classic spots like $3 Bridge and Raynold’s Pass.

Hebgen Lake

Always a great bet during run off, Hebgen Lake is seeing some good fishing right now for those looking for strip leeches, hang chironomids, or hunt heads. Good numbers of Hebgen’s giant midges (size 12), and the occasional gulping trout can be found in the Madison Arm and along the North Shore. Chironomids and leeches have produced well throughout the whole lake.

Missouri River

Joe has been staked out up on the Mighty Mo for a few weeks as he always does this time of year. Here’s a report from his last week of guiding…

Flows

At Toston – 18,900 cfs

Below Holter – 14,000 cfs

Dearborn River – 1410 cfs

At Ulm, MT – 18,800

Weather

It’s been raining steady since yesterday evening and continued all night long. 44 degrees and raining makes for a cold day here on the Missouri River. Saturday looks to be cloudy and a slight chance of rain. On Sunday and Monday things should be drying out with warmer day time temps reaching the high 70’s.

As for the fishing…

For the past two weeks we have been rowing high water here on the Missouri River. We haven’t seen flows like this since 2011 and prior to that it was back in 1996 and 1997. High water is here to stay for at least another 4-5 weeks. Late June up here is gonna be really good! Downstream of Holter Dam are two tributaries that are tossing in quite a bit of mud, the Prickly Pear coming in about 3 miles down and then roughly 13 miles down the Dearborn merges with the Missouri at the head of the Canyon. The Pear had settled down from last week’s rain but will come back up after today. For years there had been a CFS gauge on the Prickly Pear but funding for that has gone away as of this season. My guess is that it’s flowing about 1500+ CFS. The Dearborn has dropped as well but it too will come back up after today’s rain. Most of the river traffic has been in the upper reaches of the river, anywhere from the Dam to Dearborn has been fishing pretty well most of the time. Mid Canon boat ramp is closed for now as the river is flowing through the boat ramp. Just in the past four to five days has the canyon stretch cleared up enough to catch some nice trout in green water.

Most of us up here have been rigging two nymph rigs per angler. One is set up deep, about 8-9 feet from bobber to 2-3 BB split shot with sows bugs variations for the flies. The other is rigged with a wire worm and a sow bug with a total length of about 7 feet. The latter rig is tossed at the banks/submerged willows, plan on loosing plenty of flies when fishing this way, but there are quite a few fish hanging out in this type of habitat. The deep rig has been the go to for many boats out there on the water. One must get the flies down and leave them there for as long as humanly possible. Throw left and let it roll…marinate them bugs and set the hook on anything that bumps, pauses or twitches the bobber. Hook sets are free – set often and make the hook set a back cast when nothing is attached to your line. Wait forever on the back cast and don’t forget to mend.

The super bright sunny days make the Missourui a little moody. Even at these flows, the fish don’t really like the sunshine. The past two days have been cloudy and the fishing has been very good.

I have been seeing a few more fish rise here in the past several days, but targeting them is close to impossible. I’d wager that a savvy angler could fish dry/dropper along the banks and find a couple fish willing to rise; most would take the dropper fly. Caddis are starting to show up in the canyon but not in huge numbers just yet. There are March Browns emerging as well as Blue Winged Olives. Midges too. We won’t really see much for rising fish until the river gets around 8,000 CFS. If I was fishing dry flies, it would be a #10 Parachute Adams with a worm or #12 PT dropper. One might also try a small Chubby with the nymph droppers. Most of the subsurface flies that seem to be working are sow bugs, worm patterns, a #12 PT and from time to time a BWO nymph such as the Little Green Machine. For me, I rarely take off the sow bugs above Craig, but when I get below, the previously mentioned patterns are all working.

I’ve always had a bit of fascination with any living thing I encounter during my time afield. Growing up fishing and exploring around Yellowstone might do that to a person. Or maybe I just have an innate interest in other living creatures. In Yellowstone’s wilderness, fishing comes with the legitimate chance of encountering creatures as diverse as chipmunks, marmots, bison, grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, elk, and pronghorn – just to name a few mammals. While not every angling setting offers up the chance of a grizzly encounter, every place I have fished does have its own unique ecosystem to enjoy. And in my experience, every fishing spot is also home to at least a few species of birds.

I have memories of birds while fishing going way back into my childhood, but thinking back on it now, there was a moment in my life where I recognized that I was truly fascinated with the feathered friends I encountered while angling. It was in May 2004 on the Rio Malleo in Argentina. Looking up from the river at a set of towering rock spires, I caught my first glimpse of an Andean condor riding the thermals. Even soaring hundreds of feet overhead I could see the telltale white collar, and I could tell that the thing was absolutely huge! It made me want to learn more about it. On that same trip I also saw my first crested caracara, chimango caracara, and an eagle even more robust than the golden eagles in Montana. All of these birds were similar to birds from back home, but not really. I was enthralled.

Fast forward a decade +/- and I found myself becoming more and more interested in the birds I was seeing during my time on the water. I was enjoying these unique creatures (the last living dinosaurs, in fact), and having fun learning more about them. Birding was enhancing my everyday routine as well as my angling adventures.

The legendary Bud Lilly often spoke of “The Total Experience”, when it came to finding joy through fishing. It’s not only catching fish that draws us to angling, it’s the love of the fish and the rivers. Enjoying our natural surroundings and unique geology, experiencing the local birds and wildlife, participating in unique cultures, and doing it all in chosen solitude or in the company of friends and loved ones, is what completes the angling experience and keeps our passion strong.

Birding has now become a favorite part of my own “Total Experience”. I’ve accumulated a small stack of bird books, and gotten pretty handy using the web to do more research. I’ve learned some of the key ways to identify similar species that I come across often, and even started to learn a few of the “songs” they sing.

What I’ve also found is that I now equate certain bird species with specific angling locations and situations, the same way I have done with insect hatches for many years. I’ll always equate streamer fishing in Argentina with those giant Andean condors soaring on the ever present Patagonia winds. Similarly, I equate winter fishing on my local home water, the Missouri River, with the flocks of bufflehead and common goldeneye that spend the chilly months diving for insects in the calm flats. I also think of the resident bald eagles that are always happy to make a meal of one of the aforementioned waterfowl.

When I’m fishing any one of the small brushy creeks around SW Montana in the late spring, I’m always entertained by the migratory songbirds that return each year to nest in the riparian areas and feast on emerging insects. Not even a bumbling angler stops them from singing. The holy grail of bird sightings in that time and place is a male western tanager in full breeding plumage. If you ever are lucky enough to see one, you’ll remember him for sure.

In the early summer on some of my favorite lakes, I enjoy seeing the blackbirds – both the red winged and, especially, the yellow headed varieties. Again, the males are the show stoppers, full of color set off by the contrast with their predominantly black bodies. They nest in the emergent wetland vegetation along the lake margins. What I really hope to see are small groups of yellow headed blackbirds patrolling the beaches right along the water’s edge. That almost surely means that the damsel nymphs are migrating ashore to hatch, and that I need to get my fly choice sorted and the line in the water.

A swooping frigate bird makes me think of baja, the dorado, tuna, or roosterfish that might be pushing the bait up the the surface, the salt air as the boat flies foward to investigate, and the margaritas we’ll have to celebrate another great day on the sea.

And, I’ll always equate an osprey nest on top of a telephone pole with a section of the Madison River where I spent so many summers camping and fishing with my family during my childhood. That bird always caught a few whitefish from the riffle behind camp while we were hoping for a trout to rise to our dry flies.

I could go on, the more I scour my memory banks, but I will end it here. Like the title said, fishing is, at least for me, for the birds as well as the fish. Thanks, as always, for reading. Your feedback is always enjoyable, and I hope that there are others out there who enjoy my words but remain unheard.

As snow piles up here at Big Sky Anglers World Headquarters in West Yellowstone, MT (the Geographic Center of the Fly Fishing Universe) our sights are locked on to the 2018 fishing season. Guide Trip reservations are pouring in, and we’re busy planning fishing adventures throughout Yellowstone Country and beyond. We’ve fielded a lot of questions over the last few weeks about times to take a guide trip. So, we decided to share some of our recommendations for a few overlooked options.

#1 – Springtime (April – May)

When most anglers think of Springtime in the Rockies they conjure up images of our big, Western rivers running wild with brown water flooding the banks and stream-side vegetation. In much of the region, that’s an accurate description. But, on two of our favorite rivers, the Henry’s Fork and the Missouri you can find a much different experience in the early-season months of April and May. You see, both of these rivers are tail-waters with strategic dam releases, and are situated at relatively low elevations compared to other big rivers like the Madison or Yellowstone. Warm weather comes much earlier to places like Ashton, ID and Cascade, MT then it does to West Yellowstone. With warm temps comes the onslaught of Spring hatches like Mother’s Day Caddis, Baetis, and Stoneflies. While no river in our region is completely immune to Spring run-off, the Henry’s Fork and Missouri Rivers generally have sections that continue to fish well through the “mud-season” because of the clean releases coming from dams on both systems. April and May weather in the Rockies can range from 70 degrees and sunny to 30 degrees and snowing, and anglers need to be prepared for any combination of weather conditions. It’s always an adventure in the Spring as our best fishing occasionally occurs when the weather is at its worst! So, if you want to experience some of our area’s best fishing at an adventurous time of year when few other anglers are thinking about trout fishing out West, consider April and May on the Henry’s Fork and Missouri Rivers.

#2 – August

The “Dog Days of Summer” can be a bear on many fisheries. That hot August sun dries out the countryside, and heats up water temps. “Hoot Owl” closures (angling restrictions placed on bodies of water when water temps are too high and flows fall below critical levels) plague many Montana rivers like the Big Hole and Jefferson. This might be the time when many anglers would consider taking a break until the Fall, or dusting off the old golf clubs. But, in fact this is prime time for one of the angling world’s premiere destinations – Yellowstone’s Backcountry. The high alpine environment in YNP has a much different seasonal calendar than the surrounding region. Lush, green, hillsides covered in wild-flowers, and snow-capped peaks are common sight in Yellowstone’s high country well into August. Daytime temps are generally in the high 70’s to low 80’s and nighttime lows will routinely drop below freezing. This is the perfect recipe for cold, clean water. By August the backcountry has dried out, and most of the biting flies are done for the season making it the most comfortable time of year to hit the trail and explore some of the best kept secrets in our area. Our veteran guides have decades of experience wandering through the backcountry of Yellowstone in search of trout. They have more overlooked and under-fished spots in their quiver than you could fish in a lifetime. If the backcountry isn’t your thing or you’re looking for a little diversity, August is also the best time for Gulpers on Hebgen lake, and some of the most consistent dry fly fishing on the Railroad Ranch at the Henry’s Fork. Combining the backcountry of Yellowstone with some time on Hebgen, and a visit to the Ranch is a program that’s hard to beat any time of the season!

#3 – Anytime you can get here!

In this day and age, time is the one thing no one has enough of. Everyone struggles to maximize their time, especially when it comes to vacations. Visiting anglers are always in search of the “perfect time” to plan their fishing trip. The truth is, there is no perfect time. From our location in West Yellowstone (the Geographic Center of the Fly Fishing Universe) we are blessed with arguably the greatest diversity of fishing locations and authentic angling situations found anywhere. Now, Mother Nature is a fickle temptress, and often she reminds us that planning can be an exercise in futility. But, on most years with somewhat “normal” conditions we can find awesome fishing somewhere in our area every day of the season. If you have your heart set on experiencing a specific hatch on a specific fishery, say the Green Drakes on the Henry’s Fork, then, you better get here in mid-June. But, if you’re less focused, or just have an opening in your schedule, get here whenever you can! We’ll find you some awesome fishing!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of 2017, and we couldn’t be more thankful. Last year at this same time we were close to signing the purchase papers for Bud Lilly’s Trout Shop. So many things have gone on in the last year it is hard to know where to begin. First we would like to sincerely thank everyone for helping make this first season a success. Without all of the support we wouldn’t be where we are today, so, thank you!

Our doors officially opened over Memorial Day weekend and we never looked back. The summer seemed to fly by even faster than usual. We had wonderful fishing in Idaho on the Henry’s Fork, on the Madison and Missouri Rivers in Montana, and throughout Yellowstone Park. Our guide and shop staff did an outstanding job in the shop and on the water. We want to thank all of them for all their hard work and awesome energy!

We celebrated our grand opening Grand Opening for a weekend at the end of June with two days of fun, giveaways, appearances by sales reps, and a party with awesome food from our friends at Beartooth BBQ. So many great folks came out to see the new shop, say hello, and wish us well. The outpouring of love and support we felt from not only the West Yellowstone community but also from so many longtime friends and clients of Big Sky Anglers, Bud Lilly’s Trout Shop, the West Yellowstone Fly Shop, and Jonathan Heames Fly Fishing was truly humbling and overwhelming. We can’t thank everyone enough.

Packed house at the Grand Opening at the end of the night.

Community. We couldn’t do it without your love and support.

We had so much fun at the Grand Opening, we decided to throw another party on that same weekend in 2018! So, please, come join us on Saturday, June 30th, 2018 for a shop party to celebrate the summertime, our friends, families, and the fishing life. It’ll be a great chance to meet and get to know BSA employees and guides, visit with reps from various companies who will be showing product and doing demos, get in on a bunch of sales and giveaways, and also enjoy some great food like last year.

2017 saw great flows on all our rivers here in greater Yellowstone country. The Salmonfly hatch on the upper Madison was one to remember; we fished the big bugs for three full weeks! Big flows on the upper Madison usually provide for a wonderful Salmonfly hatch. The Henry’s Fork had a solid emergence of mayflies throughout the entire season along with Golden Stoneflies that began on the lower river and continued to hatch in the Box later in the season. Those lucky enough to blind cast big dries in the Box should’ve bought a Lotto ticket! Joe came up with a couple of new fly patterns for both Green Drake duns and Grey Drake spinners that rose more than a few big fish. Expect to see those patterns in our bins next season. Yellowstone Park also fished well from open to close. Things kicked off with Millers caddis and PMDs on the Firehole, and the late season terrestrial fishing in the northeast corner seemed above average this year. Hebgen Lake had some wonderful mornings of dry fly angling and when the wind did not come up, those mornings turned into afternoons. The Fall Run of trout from Hebgen Lake brought in anglers from all over the world. It seems like we were catching more rainbows than browns, but by the end of the season the brown trout made their way into the river and some wonderful specimens were brought to hand.

These are just a handful of highlight images from our guided trips this summer. Love all the smiling faces! We think that we guided more kids this year than ever before. It’s such a positive sign for the future of flyfishing.

We are truly fortunate to have so much diverse water right here within an hour’s drive of West Yellowstone. One could spend a lifetime fishing here and never touch all the water, but you can surely try. For those of you wanting to venture out and fish other Montana waters, don’t forget that we have a handful of the best guides available on the Missouri River all season long. These guys are seasoned veterans who know the river in and out. The Missouri River is a fantastic destination filled with large trout, great scenery and good times.

In late September we hosted the first annual West Yellowstone Trout Spey Days both here at the shop and on the Madison River in Custer Gallatin National Forest. Kurt Kruger and the folks at Farbank (Sage, Rio, Redington) helped us get the event up and running this year, and our friend Simon Gawesworth headlined the event for us. Big thanks again to them for all the help! Over 50 people showed up for the on-water portion of the event. It was awesome to see so much excitement about Spey fishing for trout – a type of fishing that some of us here at the shop have been enjoying for over 15 seasons. We plan on growing the event next season and will likely hold it again around the 3rd weekend in September with the support of the National Forest, so please stay tuned for more on that.

At the end of October, after nearly ten years, the construction at Hebgen dam is complete. Going forward from here, the upper Madison will return to having clean and cold water throughout the summer once again. Water will be drawn from almost forty feet down and wearing waders in between the lakes during August will be the norm. Our guess is that the hatches will reset and come back quickly leading to more dry fly opportunities, something that the Madison has always been known for. During the construction period, the insect hatches changed rather significantly with the warmer water. While we still had decent dry fly fishing it was not as consistent as when most of us started fishing this river years ago. While it remains uncertain how quickly the hatches will adjust, Mother Nature will run its course and it always amazes us how quickly she takes control when allowed to do so.

Over the winter we will be working on various shop projects and traveling a bit. Jon, Joe, and Justin will all be in South America, Argentina and Chile during different periods, so keep an eye out for photos and stories from down south! Don’t forget, we’ve been hosting and guiding trips throughout South America for almost fifteen years. We’d love to help you plan your next fishing adventure!

The shop will be open year around so feel free to call or email as you plan your fishing trip or just want to talk fishing.

In the Fall of 2015, an opportunity arose and found Jon, Justin and myself (J3) contemplating the purchase of Bud Lilly’s Trout Shop. Truth be told, this scared the shit out of all three of us and I’d be lying if I said I never lost any sleep over this decision. Booze will help one manage crazy periods in life and as long as it doesn’t become a crutch and throw a wrench into the process, there’s nothing like bourbon to help solve a problem or two. Life was going to change as we knew it, that is of course if we pulled the trigger and made the jump to the Premiere League of the fly fishing world. Owning and operating a fly shop is something Jon and I never thought we’d venture into; we enjoyed the nomadic lifestyle of guiding year around with enough time off for hunting, fishing, traveling and family. Justin however, had been running his fly shop (West Yellowstone Fly Shop) here in town for about ten years; splitting his time between Argentina and West Yellowstone taking the girls along with him for the ride. Guides are notoriously independent folks who have a hard time committing to just about everything except the guide season and their precious time away from guiding. How are the three of us supposed to pull this off? While communication and accountability are the key points, we are not completely sure just yet what lies ahead. We’ve almost made it through our first season, are paying the bills and have come up for air. Think of it like a tarpon, when it comes up for a gulp and then gives the angler another run for their money. We are in planning mode for 2018 and beyond and this time of our lives is exciting to say the least.

We pulled the trigger and bought Bud Lilly’s Trout Shop, closing on the business November 30th, 2016. At some point over the Winter of 2015-16 we made the decision to change the name of the most iconic fly shop in the Rocky Mountain West. Mind you, this was no easy task and we’ve taken a fair amount of grief over it. The shop had gone through three different owners when we came along. Bud hadn’t owned the place since the mid 80’s, after buying it back from the two fishing guides he’d sold it to in 1982, then selling it to Jim and Ann Criner. Dick and Barb were next and along came J3 last fall. To us, this hadn’t been Bud Lilly’s Trout Shop since the day he sold the place and moved back to Three Forks. Bud was a legend and touched thousands of lives from the roughly 30 years he owned the place. Even after he sold his fly shop, Bud continued to educate anglers from all walks of life; he was a huge supporter of Veterans and teaching anglers was just one of his many passions. Conservation was a close second and he was known as a “Trout’s Best Friend” for good reason. The history surrounding Bud Lilly’s is storied to say the least. Most of the well known names in western fly fishing got their start while working for Bud Lilly on this very corner. We were fortunate to spend time with Bud last December at his place in Three Forks. Those four hours are something I’ll never forget, the same goes for Jon and Justin. Bud didn’t beat around the bush and asked us what the name of the shop would before anyone could get comfortable. He was sitting in a easy chair in the corner of the old hotel, donning sunglasses and long white goat tee when he asked the question, “so, what are you gonna run it as, what are you gonna call it?”. I stumbled on my words for a moment, uneasy with telling the man that we had a different name in mind, but quickly came to my senses and told Bud that we were changing the name to Big Sky Anglers. He sat there for a moment, rocking back and forth, then said “good, you call me with anything you need and I’ll do everything I can to help you boys out. The name of the game is relationships and if you build them, you will succeed.” He also mentioned that it was “about damn time my name came off the side of that building”. The name change always felt right with us, but having Bud’s blessing made it even better. Bud passed away on January 6, 2017. That morning, Bob Jacklin called me at the shop and gave me the sad news. Bud’s wife, Esther, had mentioned to Bob to make sure that he called the three of us regarding Bud’s passing. There I sat, in Bud’s old fly shop, chill after chill running down my spine as I thought about all the history between these walls; most of which I’m not even aware of. I’m not sure how long I sat there, but I do remember the phone ringing several times and I never once got up to answer it; lost in thoughts and not really wanting to discuss much with anyone. Later that day, Bob called and invited me down to his shop for tea. We discussed many things, but Bud’s life was the main topic. Bob told me story after story and I wished I could’ve recorded it all.

We’ve got plans to honor Bud here in the shop, while we aren’t exactly sure how, it will happen sooner than later. Mostly, we will honor him in the way we treat others; with respect, in hopes that we build a business similar to that of the late Bud Lilly.

Big Sky Anglers was created in the Fall of 2004 after I got my outfitter’s license in Helena. I had a name, but no logo or web site to market my new business. Kielly Yates, a long time friend and graphic designer, saw my passion for the business and made it his MO to help me out. The trout above is what he came up with, but originally, instead of the Sphinx Mountain inside the trout, he had the Teton Range. Look above at the photo and you’ll see Sphinx Mountain and the Helmet, the two most prominent peaks in the Madison Valley, inside the body of the trout along with the stars above the mountains. When Justin, Jonathan and myself became partners, Kielly made another change to the logo incorporating Orion’s Belt into the scenery(it’s in the tail). STARS ALL ALIGNING This constellation can be seen from both North and South America at the same time; down south, they call the Tres Marias. With all of us splitting time between these two continents and the fact that there’s three of us, Orion’s Belt was very fitting. Over the years, I’ve had folks get confused and ask me if the business is in Big Sky, Montana. The term Big Sky Country is a nick name given to Montana years ago and back in 2004 I thought it was fitting to name the business with this in mind. Whether you’re fishing in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South America or even the wide open salt flats, the sky always seems endless. Jon, Justin and myself have been guiding and fishing throughout the entire Western United States for over 25 years. We all have deep ties to the mountains, rivers, lakes throughout the world, but we call West Yellowstone home.

At some point here in the last week, Summer slipped away from us and Fall arrived in fashion with dumping snow, chilly wind, bugling elk and overcast blue-grey skies with quiet a bit of rain mixed in to boot. All of the rivers in YNP bumped up from the much needed moisture and then the clouds broke free revealing snow capped mountains. Not to worry, the sunshine didn’t last too long as more snow blanketed the Hebgen Basin and YNP; closing both Dunraven Pass and Craig Pass yesterday and last night. (Check with YNP online for up to date road closures.) A chilly wind is upon us today, so layer up and bring that thermos of coffee! The next couple of days will bring in more moisture but the weekend forecast might just bring back some sunshine and warmer temps.

This past week, Blue Winged Olives hatched in full force throughout the local watersheds on rivers like the Henry’s Fork, Firehole and Madison Rivers. If one was brave enough to make the jaunt to the NE Corner of YNP, he/she, would’ve been rewarded with Drake Mackerels drifting quietly down the Soda Butte and Lamar River. Anglers from all walks of life are descending on our local rivers to swing flies, Czech nymph the Madison and strip streamers; all in hopes of wrangling up a fish or three each day. By now, we have seen a fair push of fish up from Hebgen Lake and anglers are having some success. As with all fishing, some days are better than others and if you arrived as the rivers were on the rise, angling was a little tough. For those folks who made the trip to the Madison Valley, they were rewarded with solid hatches of BWOs and rising trout. The Henry’s Fork game is still going and our guides have been fishing from the Box Canyon all the way down to Ashton; finding plenty of rising fish on some days, ripping streamers on other days and nymphing em’ when appropriate. Stop by the shop for the most up to date fishing report, we are open from 7am until 830pm.